CONFIRMED DEAL: Corbins Burnes Bids Farewell To Baltimore As He Joins Milwaukee Brewers As Free Agent

Ranking Corbin Burnes’ 5 best free agency destinations

Corbin Burnes entered a contract year on a new team with big expectations. After he was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Baltimore Orioles, his free agency took center stage. With new ownership in the Charm City, they could be willing to spend unlike in the past. But after another spectacular season on a playoff team, teams will be lining up to sign the ace. Could the Mets get involved? Or is Burnes headed north of the border? We’ll get into it in our five best free agency destinations for Corbin Burnes.

There are only a few teams who will be able to afford Burnes this offseason. MLB Trade Rumors projects his contract at seven years and $200 million, which outprices many teams. It is safe to say that he will not be returning to Milwaukee, or anywhere in the NL Central besides maybe the Cubs. Most of the American League Central is off-limits as well because they are priced out.

Burnes will be the next pitcher to join a big-market team with massive expectations. If he repeats his season with the Orioles, he will be worth the near-$30 million annual price tag that projection shows. Who will get involved in the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes? And where will he land?

Unlike previous years, you cannot rule out the Orioles in free agency. This Baby Birds rebuild is missing a bona fide ace and went out and traded for one in Corbin Burnes. He was amazing, starting the All-Star Game, posted a 128 ERA+, and will finish top-three in Cy Young voting. While he may take a hometown discount, he still won’t be cheap for Baltimore to keep.

The Orioles collapsed this season, losing the American League East despite a pedestrian summer from the Yankees. The division was there for the taking and their offense could not finish the job. Burnes even slipped a little as well, posting a 4.04 ERA over his final ten starts. Even with that ending, the Orioles need to resign their ace.

While the Orioles have a bright future, their brutal ending brings up a lot of questions. They scored just one run in the two-game AL Wild Card Series against the Royals. That included leaving Burnes out to dry, who picked up the loss despite eight innings of one-run ball. As their offense changes, a steady rotation is key.